


Salt and Stone: Birthday Salvage

by Aithilin



Series: Salt and Stone [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Fluff, M/M, Mer!Noctis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-02 01:04:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16295348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aithilin/pseuds/Aithilin
Summary: When he first arrived in Altissia, Nyx had not expected his birthday to be spent exploring the city for salvage and ingredients. He didn't even expect to receive any gifts, let alone one from Noctis, the curious mer-creature who he had grown attached to.Set in mySalt and StoneAU.





	Salt and Stone: Birthday Salvage

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LogicDive](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LogicDive/gifts).



> Happy (slightly early) birthday!! I hope this is the start of a wonderful, fluffy week.

Searching through the busy thoroughfare of the Altissean bay was not how Nyx expected to be spending his birthday. Free diving in areas just out of the marked passageways— under the watchful eye of the harmless gulls perched on the buoys, the busy tourist crowds oblivious to his little boat out here on its own before the sun had even deigned to dim the romantic lights reflected off the labyrinthine canals— was not how he had hoped to spend his morning. But salvage was salvage, and he had a very reliable tip that there were valuable crates out here. There had been talk at Weskham’s bar of something special— a tantalising treat of days gone by, when the sovereignty of the Accordo archipelago was undisturbed by Niflheim influence. There were remnants of the past, tucked away in secure wooden crates in the bay. Bottles more valuable than the gil they could be sold for. 

Nyx had just wanted a day off. 

Instead he spent a morning following the playful little shadow of a strange creature out to the wreckage that had been forgotten or ignored or otherwise picked clean over the years. He had watched the stars part in the water in the wake of Noctis’ tail and pale limbs, smiling as he waited every few moments for Nyx’s boat to catch up. 

Of course the creatures that inhabited the Altissean canals had found this forgotten treasure. And of course they refused to drag it up themselves— content to bring little bits and pieces to Weskham until Nyx was recruited to trawl the wreckage himself. 

He was promised the day off with pay once his boat was loaded and the delivery made. 

Nyx was no stranger to the salvage of the bay and surrounding small islands. He had ventured beyond Altissean waters to search the ships crushed on rocks or plucked from the skies during wartime. He had followed the strange merfolk that lived in the canals through broken Nif ships, breathing apparatus gifted by Noctis securely in place to let him search through the cracked hulls and twisted metal ruins for little treasures. 

If he was honest, the whole work of it— mindful of the sharp, shattered airships that once carried the Nif mechanical armies to his own shores of Galahd— reminded him of his childhood. He remembered navigating the wreckage in the reefs and along the canyon rivers. He remembered climbing through the rusted hulls to pick apart technology abandoned to salt waves and persistent trees. There had been whole fleets scattered across Galahd once; ships left to rot in field and forest and shallow waters. 

But none from his misspent youth had folk like Noctis in their shadows. The bright, fanged smile reflected in his little light as the prince navigated the ruins with more grace than he could manage to follow. He watched as Noctis, like a hurried cat, doubled back to watch him and wait for him to catch up, powerful tail disappearing into the darkness of the deep waters. 

Outside of the ship ruins, he saw Prompto’s golden shine in quick flashes and Gladio’s powerful russet form chasing after the smaller creature. And Noctis tugged at his arm to reassert his own demands for attention. 

The treasure he had been sent to collect was easy enough to find— the remnants of a diplomatic gifts carried across the waves and thought destroyed in the Hydrean’s stormy wrath. The crates had settled scattered across the field of ruins, home for fish and creatures who had no idea what their little mansions cost an empire. Nyx ran a hand over the side of a crate sand and silt and all manner of sea scum he didn’t want to think about coming off easily with the single swipe to reveal the imprint if the Empire’s crest. It was identical to the crate Noctis and his friends had delivered to Weskham more than a week ago. 

The bottles inside just as pristine and untouched. 

Hauling the crate up was another matter, Nyx struggled to free the weight of it from the ocean floor. When it came away easily after a few moment’s of struggle, it was because Gladio had taken pity on him to help. 

There was rope on his boat, and in the dawn’s early light he manoeuvred the little vessel into a better position. Noctis was bribed with a kiss and a smile— and the others with whatever their prince promised— to help. They ran the ropes down and helped him haul the last of the containers up, while he watched their shadows surface and dive through the water. They would disappear into the shadows of the depths, and he could catch the brief glimpses of colour and movement as they chased each other around the taught ropes.

Cargo aboard, anchor recalled, and Nyx smiled as he watched Noctis chase his wake on his way back to the narrow canals. 

He hadn’t expected to spend his birthday morning out on the open water, hauling ancient bottles up through the murky depths with the help of the creatures he had only just befriended. He had hoped to sleep in, and see what ridiculous gift Selena had sent him this time. He had thoughts to stay home, feet in the water off the steps to his front door, Noctis a lazy shadow in the canal to keep him company. He had thought about cooking more than just toast and coffee for the creature, and taking a swim later in the day— off beyond the city where the green shores were just starting their slow change of colours for the season. 

He had expected to have a quiet day, with a late start and a lazy afternoon, watching the stars ripple across the waves in the soft lights of the city around him. 

“Thank you, Ulric,” Ignis said as he helped unload the cargo— ancient bottles chiming as they continued to drip across the floating restaurant’s platform. It would be hours more of assessing any damage, of cataloguing and marking and creating an inventory. Hours more work for Ignis, as he pulled the first of many bottles from the crates and tried to decipher the labels. “Your payment is at the bar; do try to keep Noctis from stealing it all.”

Nyx spotted the container set aside for him— tied together neatly with some twine. “You shouldn’t have, Specs.”

“Shush. Go before I put you to work.”

The morning mist parted around him as he headed back home, his little boat sliding across the water without the cargo he had been sent to fetch weighing him down. A crisp breeze carried across the canals, the morning noise of the bustling city riding it down from the larger plazas above. He had been in the city for just under a full year now— taking the job offered by Weskham when the Galahdian winter has firmly established its grip throughout his beloved hometown.

He had never thought the foreign city, with its sturdy levels of stone built atop the past foundations set deep into the strange waters, would feel like home. But boat moored at his door, and little parcel placed on his kitchen counter, Nyx propped open the door with a bit of crumbled moulding gifted from Noctis, to let the morning air in. 

“Are you making coffee?”

Nyx smiled at the question, alerted to Noctis’ arrival by the familiar splashes of water on the stone landing. “Maybe, little fish.”

“And toast?”

“You know, on people’s birthdays, you’re supposed to treat them,” Nys said, setting the first mug of instant coffee down beyond the door so Noctis could reach it. 

“It’s not my birthday.”

“I know.”

“Oh, right.” Noctis offered up a fanged grin, even as he cradled the familiar mug in both hands. His tail draped over the steps and into the water, still shining in the morning light as the lamps that lined the residential avenues flickered out. “Happy birthday.”

“You know,” Nyx said, settling down next to Noctis with his back against the rough stone wall, “I’ve been thinking of getting a different apartment.”

“What? Why?” The creature stiffened beside him, eyes wide and mug still gripped tight in his hands. Nyx wondered if he might break the delicate thing that had survived countless drops from counter to floor. “Not up above right?”

He had considered getting a place a few levels up; or at least in a more prestigious area of town. There were a few that had restaurants nearby, and doorways that didn’t lead off to the canal by a sudden drop. There had been a few with balconies he could enjoy, with the wrought iron railings he had come to admire throughout the city— some covered with clinging green vines and bushes of flowers that had long overtaken their little boxes and planters. He had thoughts of one of the places that shared landings with the stone archways, and the strange awnings that overhung the streets and canals, where he could watch the frequent winter rains in peace from high windows, the greenery that had taken over the city dripping down around them. 

“I was thinking about it.”

“No, you can’t.”

“Giving me orders, little fish?”

“Yes. You can’t go higher up. You’d hate it.”

Nyx resisted the urge to laugh at the certainty in the statement. At the look of horror on Noctis’ face. “How do you know what I’d hate?” 

“Because I know you.”

“Do you?”

“Yes,” Noctis released his grip on the mug, and pulled himself closer. Nyx did laugh as Noctis pulled himself to rest across his lap, and set his own coffee down to hold the outing creature steady. “I know you.”

Nyx hummed, smiling as he let his hands wander across Noctis’ back. “But what’s so good about this place? It’s damp, and dark, and small.”

“It’s great though. You’re right here. You’re not allowed to leave.”

He thought about the mornings spent out here on the landing, the warmth of the summer sun shrouding the canals in a thick serpentine mist. He thought about the chill, rough stone at his back, as the easy waves lapped at his steps. He was sheltered, mostly, from the rains here, with walkways and canals taking him through the busy beating heart of the city. He thought of the tall buildings that blocked the light and cast long shadows, and the wooden shutters that were already starting to rot in the damp. 

“What if I went home?”

“This is your home.”

“To Galahd.”

Noctis stiffened in his arms, hands gripping the front of his shirt. “Please, don’t.”

“You could come though. Galahd is like Accordo; it’s all just islands.”

“I need to stay here. You need to stay here.”

Nyx could picture Noctis and his friends in the grey waters of his home. He could see them at home in the reefs and rocky shores, with nothing but the white-tipped horizon to explore. He could see them in the little caves he used to visit at the low tides, and sunbathing in the private cutaways from the impenetrable shores. He could see Ignis at home in Libertus’ bar, fussing over the menus, and Prompto chasing Selena’s boat. He could see Gladio hunting off the coast, where the dark waters hid more dangers than the Altissean bay. 

And he could picture Noctis, stretched out in a laze on a beach, smiling during the summer festivals, and winter bonfires. He thought of Noctis, human by the power of the Crystal like Ignis, at home in Galahd. At home in an apartment high above the canals and surrounded by greenery. He thought of Noctis’ smile, and pale features, framed by the Galahdian colours of his home. 

He thought of Noctis, and Noctis alone.

He pressed a soft kiss to Noctis’ cheek. “I’m not going anywhere without you. Don’t worry.”

“Would you rather I was human?”

“No.”

“No?”

“I’d rather you were you,” Nyx grinned at the look of confusion from Noctis, and kissed his nose to make him smile. “And stop worrying.”

“I have a right to worry,” Noctis nipped him in retaliation; “you’re talking about leaving.”

“Not without you, I promise.”

“You’d better.”

“I promise, little star.” Nyx raised a hand to Noctis’ hair, and teased a smile back from the pout. “Now, what did you get me for my birthday?”

There had been long weeks when he wanted to leave Altissia. Long nights staring up at the stars dimmed by the soft, romantic lights, listening to the voices and music and city noise carry down on the quiet canals. There had been days, tending to Weskham’s bar, knowing that there was an ancient power held deep in the waters beneath his feet, that chilled his blood and made him miss the life of a quiet hunter on the mainland. He had paced his small apartment on the days and nights when the air was heavy with the water the city stood on, and he struggled to compose a letter o his sister that didn’t scream that he missed her and wanted to go home. 

And now there was Noctis, stretching across his lap in the cool autumn morning reaching for the mug that had been set down in his panic. Noctis’ weight across his lap was a comfort— an anchor— pinning him into place on the narrow stoop. It reminded him that he had something to stay for here. 

And that something was a tricky little creature giving him a guilty look; “You forgot.”

“I didn’t forget!” Noctis curled close, the tease of a smile gracing his lips, “But it’s for later.”

“Later?”

“I didn’t bring it with me this morning. And Iggy said that you might want the day to yourself.”

“Since when do you listen to Ignis’ reason?”

The little answering shrug had Nyx smiling. “Later then.”

There was a tradition in his family to make particular meals for particular holidays or birthdays. There was a warmth about the familiarity that Nyx wanted to cling to now in the chill autumn winds blustering across the canals from the land and across the already chilled waters. It had taken the better part of the last week to gather the ingredients, or as close to what he needed given the limited markets Altissia was willing to offer. There were still a few small things he wanted to try to find at this last minute, but they were the garnishes and final touches— the spices and herbs that would bring the wealth of his home and family rushing back to mind. 

The welcoming city that Altissia claimed to be did have some merit. Weskham had the most comprehensive sources of ingredients for what was allegedly ancient Lucian delicacies. But even he had directed Nyx to the tiny shops buried deep in the city’s markets, and with the careful instruction that he may need to be willing to walk away if the prices weren’t negotiated. 

Nyx had spent most of the week following that instruction. Most of the bases for his intended meal being easy to find in his early wanderings through the quiet plazas and docks— fish and meat varied very little from nation to nation, a garula was still a garula anywhere in Eos. The greens had been harder to find. They had been harder to pick through. He had learnt early, and often from Libertus that the slightest variation could ruin the whole flavour of something, dousing his attempts as thoroughly as if he had dumped the plate into the canal. 

He had spoken to Ignis, as Weskham’s trusted apprentice, for advice. He had watched carefully as familiar tricks and tips taught at his father’s side came rushing back. 

He had asked, in the quiet hours before the bar opened and they were rushed through the stages of service, if Noctis would be able to stomach half of what he intended to make. 

Ignis had only told him it was worth a try. 

By the time Noctis had slipped back into the waters to disappear on whatever errands he had given himself, the morning had grown long. The early fog that had rolled in on the tail of the clear night and the delivery of salvaged goods had dissipated into the cool autumn airs. Nyx left his windows open for the breeze as he left to scour the markets one last time. 

He hadn’t intended on cooking for the creature that visited his home on a daily basis. They had shared the simple meals already— the tradition of a coffee steaming and warming settled out on the stoop, or a plate of toast that the creature seemed to enjoy. Noctis had never made those sorts of demands, never asked to test the waters of new foods. There had been fish delivered to his door before, and big blue eyes watching as he set to work preparing the gift for human consumption. But no real meals. 

Nyx supposed— as he watched the restaurants that opened early set out platters and plates of fluffy scrambled eggs and piles of crepes for the morning guests— that it would have been hard to offer a real meal to a creature that couldn’t sit at the table with him. 

Altissia had always carried an air of elegance to it— a sense of antiquity that was built upon old styles and romance. It’s archaic beauties were chiselled into the stone decorations of its buildings’ facades, and in the bridges that spanned the canals. Its romance scoured every shadow and twisting walkway, every step artistically carved and ruggedly worn down. Nyx had spent nights enamoured with the soft plaza lights, the heat and warmth of the legendary culinary culture wafting across summer breezes, carrying laughter and music and the smells of food that had more merit as works of art. 

But Nyx had his roots firmly in the earthy chaos of Galahd. If Altissia was the romantic antiquity of human achievement, then Galahd was a testament to the creativity that came from the true rustic nature of island life. There was nothing elegant or splendid about the stew he was making. There was nothing about it that would have it pictured on storefront menus or spread across delicate platters to be shared between laughing, polite diners crowded around a decorated table beneath the soft lights of the Altissean lamps. 

But it filled his little apartment with the steam and heat of familiar spices. Its steam curled around him as he moved in his tiny— ‘charming’ as Selena called it— kitchen, despite the salty sea airs seeping through his open windows. 

When it was done, he took a picture of it to text to his sister, only to ignore whatever response he received when the splashing outside started. The early evening had rolled into the city when he was distracted with his dish. And he settled on the landing, the high tide threatening to douse him as the calm waters lapped the steps. As the first glimpse of shimmering midnight tail broke the calm canal surface. 

He had barely started in on his meal before Noctis was peeking out of the water. The creature smiled his fanged grin, and pulled himself closer to investigate the evening’s offering. “What is that?”

“Stew,” Nyx grinned and offered Noctis the bowl, amused as the creature plucked a piece of meat from the mixture; “it’s a family recipe.”

Noctis— for once in all the time Nyx had known him— took his time with the meat, savouring the morsel and licking his fingers of the sauce. “It’s good. Not like toast, though.”

“Yeah, well you can have some toast later.” Nyx smiled around his fork, watching Noctis settle himself on the damp stone landing. “What did you bring me?”

The lights of the city never quite reached Nyx’s level. Never quite penetrated the dusky shadows that stretched across the dark waters. As Noctis offered the gift that had been closed in the palm of his hand, Nyx set aside his bowl and leaned forward to investigate. 

The little beads were carved with familiar symbols and markings, with barely a chip out of place on delicate, colourful pearl and solid, sturdy bone. The beads were a match to what he wore already, plaited in with decorations and reminders of home. On a closer examination, he couldn’t place the marking carved into the soft, rounded shapes, Noctis presented. There were the arrows he recognised from Galahd, but not those that were native to his hometown. 

“They’re sea-faring markers,” Noctis explained, the only indication that he was nervous was the clenching of his hands and the shifting of his tail as it trailed in the waters. “Weskham said they were still Galahdian…”

“Did he carve them? Where did you get these?”

“I carved them.”

“You did?”

“Did I do them wrong?”

“No! No,” Nyx beamed to Noctis, quick to reassure with a kiss in his gratitude. “I just haven’t seen them in years. They’re amazing, little star.”

“Oh! I put that in there too!”

Noctis reached for one of the pearls and the rudimentary carving of a star was etched carefully into the iridescent surface. Nyx grinned as he saw it and carefully singled it out from the rest, setting the other beads safely in a pocket. He reached for Noctis, moving quickly before the creature could duck away from him. “Then that’ll be the one you need to wear.”

“What? Why? They’re for you!”

“And I get to do what I want with them, right?” A kiss to still Noctis while his hands worked and the bead was tied into the creature’s hair. “I want you to have this one.”

“Nyx—”

“You’ll be my little star, Noct. I can follow you anywhere.”


End file.
